Zwan-derful

When it was announced that the Smashing Pumpkins were breaking up almost three years ago, many fans feared the worst: that it would be the end of Billy Corgan’s career and an end to an era of angst-driven music. It may indeed have signaled an end to the dominating angry and sad themes of the 90’s, but an end to Corgan’s career? Sad fans should know better.

Cheer up, Corgan’s back with a brand new band, Zwan; his style having reincarnated into a more up-beat sound, without even a slight nod to his former, darker self. However, Zwan isn’t about the Smashing Pumpkins- it can stand on its own although comparisons are inevitable. Everything that worked and worked well then has been seamlessly sewed together to produce a very sophisticated album entitled Mary, Star of the Sea.

While it isn’t fair to constantly compare Zwan to Smashing Pumpkins because they are two bands in their own rights, the emotions evoked by Mary, Star of the Sea are the exact opposite of what you would expect coming from Corgan. After screaming, “God is empty, just like me,” in the Pumpkin’s hit, “Zero,” his attitude has changed to a more positive and content one as he sings “yet how rich is my condition/ god and heaven are all my own” in “Jesus, I”. Religious undertones in Corgan’s music were just beginning to surface in the Pumpkins’ 1998 album, Adore, but with Zwan, Corgan freely explores this avenue.

With almost every song being about love, it’s nothing like the current sugary pop dominating the mainstream radio stations. “Of a Broken Heart” might seem like a melancholy song of a loveless life, but- upon closer inspection it proves to be just as optimistic as the others. “The heart of a child / is in your hands now/ so let’s see you smile /’cause I’m not impressed with your loneliness” is basically telling someone to cheer up because someone else loves them. Being loved is one of the best feelings in the world, so enjoy it.

While Zwan is meant to be loud like the Pumpkins were, it’s more subdued. Gentle melodies intertwined throughout the songs make the music flow more smoothly, and make the music almost have a nostalgic quality with happier tones, similar to those found in the Pumpkins’ 1996 hit, “1979”. Besides that one song, however, the songs on Mary, Star of the Sea, couldn’t be found on other Pumpkins albums because they are simply so cheerful in comparison. This album is the beginning of a road of success without an end in sight for Zwan.

The five members of Zwan, (Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, Paz Lenchantin, Matt Sweeney, and David Pajo), having been established veterans of the music scene, already know what they’re doing. There is no trial-and-error here; each member knows his style and knows how to achieve what they want. Zwan is the product of many years of hard work; the results of many experiments within the other bands.

Shortly after the Pumpkins finished their last tour, despite vague rumors that Corgan (vocalist/guitar) would continue to create music and Chamberlin (drums) would become a racecar driver, both got together with Matt Sweeney (guitar) and David Pajo (guitar/bass), to form the quartet, The True Poets of Zwan.

This signaled a return to the music scene for Sweeney, who had previously led the late 80’s punk band, Skunk and later went on to found Chavez. David Pajo, who formerly played with the underground band Slint, completed the quartet.

After practicing and playing together for some months, in April 2002, The True Poets of Zwan expanded, welcoming bassist Paz Lenchantin (of A Perfect Circle fame) into the quintet. Shortening the name to Zwan, they began to play around the country gathering fans and turning heads, and recorded their first album.

In the winter of angry rock, Zwan is sure to begin a new era as Corgan predicts in “Come With Me”: “I’m a star, and I will shine, in a season all mine.”